Food As Identity- and A Form of Communication

Read Jamie Mittelman's story while working at the Asian University for Women (AUW),

She proposed an idea that she saw as ‘killing two birds with one stone.’ Her idea wasto publish a University cookbook that used student recipes and anecdotes asconduits for the students’ cultures and identities. It came to fruition and shows her passion and committment.

"I was working at the first liberal arts school for women inAsia, living with brilliant women from twelve countries and backgrounds sovastly different from each other, yet they all had one thing in common: theydid not realize how strong and amazing they were. Butter Tea and Banana Soup: Food as Identity is a celebration ofthese women. As I write in the introduction this book “was created so AUW students can better understand each other and as a result, better understand themselves.” Bird #1: Empowering the students by valuing their stories andhighlighting how inspirational they are. Bird #2: Using the students’ storiesto market the University to prospective students and donors.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to spearhead thisproject, and the students truly gave me an invaluable gift. Simply put, theyallowed me to see the power of communications to create change. For thisreason, I have dedicated myself to using communications as a means of personalempowerment."